Industry has problems making good low resistance electrical connections between electroconductive metals and electroconductive polymeric materials, carbon and graphite. Present day practice employs one of several techniques. One technique is to crimp or clamp an electroconductive metal clip to the material which may have been coated with a conductive material such as solder or metalized paint, relying on pressure to make the contact either directly to the material per se or to the solder or painted area. Another technique widely practiced is to first coat the polymeric material, graphite or carbon with a thin film of solder or electroconductive paint (i.e. silver dispersed in an epoxy resin) folowed by electroplating the solder or painted area. Such techniques do not produce the lowest possible electrical resistance. Further, such techniques require the metal contact to remain out of contact with the electrolyte or that a noble metal be used which will not dissolve in the electrolyte under use conditions.
In light of the interest in using electroconductive polymeric materials, carbon and graphite in the form of fibers, bundles of fibers, cloth and films in batteries, fuel cells, electrochemical cells, electrochemical reactions and the like, it appears essential that the lowest possible resistance connections be made between the carbon/graphite or electroconductive polymeric material and the metal collector, wires, etc.